The inventive concepts relate to semiconductor devices. More particularly, the inventive concepts relate to magnetic memory devices.
As semiconductor memory devices with fast read/write operations and low-operating voltage have been demanded, high-speed and low-power consumption electronic devices have been developed. Magnetic memory devices, which correspond to semiconductor memory devices, have been developed to satisfy the above demands. The magnetic memory devices have been spotlighted as next-generation memory devices because of their high-speed and non-volatile characteristics.
The magnetic memory device may include a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ). The MTJ may include two magnetic layers and a tunnel barrier layer disposed between the two magnetic layers. A resistance value of the MTJ may be changed depending on magnetization directions of the two magnetic layers. For example, if the magnetization directions of the two magnetic layers are anti-parallel to each other, the MTJ may have a relatively high resistance value. If the magnetization directions of the two magnetic layers are parallel to each other, the MTJ may have a relatively low resistance value. The magnetic memory device may write/read data in/from the MTJ by means of a difference between the resistance values of the MTJ.
Highly integrated and/or low power consumption magnetic memory devices have been increasingly demanded with the development of an electronic industry. The various researches are being conducted for satisfying these demands.